The Hackney Onion
The Hackney Onion was a shortlisted finalist for the inaugural Antepavilion competition organised by the Architecture Foundation.
The Hackney Onion concept was derived from Hackney’s multiple layers. The onion represents the borough’s diversity, food culture and the technology hub that East London is becoming. The project is an experimental repurposing study of the functional credentials of a traditional onion dome form, which is more usually seen adorning buildings for a primarily aesthetic purpose. The Hackney Onion proposed for the Arts House Foundation rooftop a temporary structure consisting of 5 single occupancy units, a bathroom, in-built storage and a communal living space with onion-tip openable roof hatch. The design attempted to proactively tackle some of London’s biggest issues, including homelessness and unaffordability - through the creation of just one of a series of colourfully envisaged rooftop almshouses. The colourful recycled plastic onion-shaped roof tiles highlight the city's waste problems, whilst promoting the innovative and participatory re-use of materials to minimise life-cycle cost.
